Satiety enhancing food compositions

Abstract

The present invention provides an aqueous liquid or spoonable edible composition comprising at least 1% wt protein and from 0.1 to 5% wt of a biopolymer thickening agent which is not denatured or hydrolysed between pH 2 and 4, and wherein the composition has a gastric viscosity at 0.1 s −1 and 37° C. of at least 20 Pa.s and further wherein the gastric viscosity is greater than the viscosity of the composition. The compositions of the invention have good satiety effects and are beneficial for use in weight control plans and may be used for the prevention and/or treatment of being overweight or obese. The edible composition may be a food composition intended for use in a weight loss or weight control plan such as a meal replacer food product.

1 . An aqueous liquid or spoonable edible composition comprising at least about 1% wt protein and from about 0.1 to about 5% wt of a biopolymer thickening agent which is not denatured or hydrolysed between about pH 2 and about pH 4, and wherein the composition has a gastric viscosity at 0.1 s −1  and 37° C. of at least about 20 Pa.s and further wherein the gastric viscosity is greater than the viscosity of the composition.  
     
     
         2 . An edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition has a gastric viscosity at 0.1 s −1  and 37° C. of at least about 35 Pa.s.  
     
     
         3 . An edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition has a maximum gastric viscosity at 0.1 s −1  and 37° C. of about 200 Pa.s.  
     
     
         4 . An edible composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises a polysaccharide continuous phase comprising at least a part of the biopolymer thickening agent.  
     
     
         5 . An edible composition according to  claim 4 , wherein the polysaccharide continuous phase comprises from about 0.5 to a about 10% wt of the biopolymer thickening agent based on the weight of the polysaccharide continuous phase.  
     
     
         6 . An edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the biopolymer thickening agent comprises a non-starch polysaccharide.  
     
     
         7 . An edible composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the biopolymer thickening agent comprises an ionic non-starch polysaccharide.  
     
     
         8 . An edible composition according to  claim 7 , wherein the ionic non-starch polysaccharide is present in an amount of about 0.5 to about 3% wt, based on the weight of the composition.  
     
     
         9 . An edible composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the ionic non-starch polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectin, carrageenan, amidated pectin, xanthan, gellan, furcellaran, karaya gum, rhamsan, welan, gum ghatti, gum arabic and salts and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         10 . An edible composition according to  claim 9 , wherein the alginate has a L-guluronic acid content of at least about 60% of the total uronic acid units in the alginate.  
     
     
         11 . An edible composition according to  claim 9  wherein the alginate has a molecular weight of at least 0.5×10 5 .  
     
     
         12 . An edible composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the biopolymer thickening agent comprises a neutral non-starch polysaccharide.  
     
     
         13 . An edible composition according to  claim 12 , wherein the neutral non-starch polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of galactamannan, guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, ispaghula, β-glucans, konjacglucomannan, methylcellulose, gum tragacanth, detarium, tamarind and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         14 . An edible composition according to  claim 12 , wherein the neutral non-starch polysaccharide has a weight average molecular weight of at least about 3×10 5 .  
     
     
         15 . An edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the edible composition further comprises a source of non-solubilised divalent metal ions.  
     
     
         16 . An edible composition according to  claim 15  wherein the source of non-solubilised divalent metal ions is present in an amount of from about 2 to about 30% wt based on the weight of the biopolymer thickening agent.  
     
     
         17 . An edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises from about 2 to about 20% wt protein.  
     
     
         18 . An edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises water in an amount from about 20 to about 95% wt.  
     
     
         19 . An edible composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the edible composition is a meal replacer or other food composition for use in a weight loss or weight control plan.  
     
     
         20 . The use of a biopolymer thickening agent which is not denatured or hydrolysed between about pH 2 and about pH 4 in the manufacture of an aqueous liquid or spoonable edible composition comprising at least about 1% wt protein and having a gastric viscosity at 0.1 s −1  and 37° C. of at least about 20 Pa.s and which viscosity is greater than the viscosity of the composition, for use in providing an enhanced feeling of satiety to a person consuming the edible composition and/or to aid adherence to a weight loss or weight control plan and/or in a method of preventing or treating obesity.  
     
     
         21 . A method for inducing satiety in a human or animal, the method comprising the step of administering to a human or animal an aqueous liquid or spoonable edible composition comprising at least about 1% wt protein from about 0.1 to about 5% wt of a biopolymer thickening agent which is not denatured or hydrolysed between about pH 2 and about pH 4, the edible composition having a gastric viscosity at 0.1 s and 37° C. of at least about 20 Pa.s and wherein the gastric viscosity is greater than the viscosity of the composition.